This car was manufactured for Gilbert by Tru Scale, who also offered the car as a part of its own product line.  Gilbert HO collector Dom San Giovanni has studied the variations of this car and consulted with noted Gilbert collector Dave Garrigues.  According to Dom, the Gilbert marketed car came in at least 3 versions, differing only in the number printed on the car.  In keeping with what appears to be Gilbert practice, the car marketed by Gilbert was different from the same product marketed by the subcontractor, in this case Tru Scale.  Only the Gilbert marketed car had a reddish orange cab, while the Tru Scale version cabs came in grey, yellow and black. Gilbert may have also marketed the car with a black shell, and Gary Klein, in his Gilbert HO book, notes that one such car was found in a Kleer Pak.  This would represent a break with the normal Gilbert practice of requiring uniqueness in sub contracted products.  A photo of that car appears in the 2nd edition of Gary's book.  The car number markings  X-74, X-59, and X-83 were used on both Gilbert and Tru Scale cars.  Click here to read notes about collecting Gilbert Tru-Scale cars.

Standard Version (X-74) - Gary Klein Collection